Watchcase bezel



May 5, 1925. 1,536,607

H. BUHLMAN WATCHCASE BEZEL Filed 00?.. 9, 1924 INVENTOR. Herman Bu m an A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES HERMAN BUHLMAN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

wAToHcAsE BEZEL.

Application filed October 9, 1924. Serial No. 742,552.

To all fr0/wm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERMAN BUHLMAN, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVatchcase Bezels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved construction of watch case bezel; and has for its object to provide a bezel member having` a front rim with an opening formed therein, the opening being provided with an inwardly iiaring edge forming a seat for a crystal which may be positioned from the inside of the bezel and a fastening member being provided for locking the crystal in its seat.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means on the locking member for holding the watch movement on its support in the casing.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a face view of the watch having my improved bezel.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the locking frame member.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a portion of the inner side of the bezel body member.

Figure 4L is an edge view of the locking frame member.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Figure 1 looking` in the Ldirection of the arrow.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the mechanism shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows the bezel frame member iu position to be carried upward to its seat before the movement is inserted into the casing.

It is found in the practical construction of watch cases, particularly cases for the small for the small wrist type of watch, that where the crystal is snapped in from the outside of the case that this operation is very slow even where skilled labor is employed and also owing to the large percentage of breakage of these crystals this means of positioning them is quite unsatisfactory. It is also found that when a crystal is snapped in from the front it is not tight and therefore, dust and foreign matter works in and clogs the movement; and to obviate these diiiiculties I have formed a bezel member having an inturned front bezel rim with an opening for the crystal, the edge wall of the opening flaring inwardly to provide a beveled seat, and I have also provided a frame member for pressing and locking the crystal in this beveled seat so tightly as to exclude moisture and foreign matter therefrom; also I have provided in this frame member means for pressing the movement or works of the watch to its support in the casing without the necessity of employing other fastening for this purpose; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invent-ion and showing one means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished IVith reference to the drawings 10 designates a watch case which is formed of a lower body portion 11 and having an inwardly extending flange 12 and an upper body portion 13 into which this ange 12 closely tits to secure the two members of the body together. A movement 1st has an extending dial portion 15 vsupported on this flange 12 in the lower casing, the upper body portion being preferably formed of sheet stock having a front, inturned bezel rim 16 having an opening for the crystal 17. The edge of the inturned, laterally extending rim is turned downwardly as at 18 forming an inwardlyflaring or inwardly beveled seat, the inarginal edge of which overhangs the face of the watch and against which the edge of the crystal 17 is fitted to seat from the inner side outwardly.

Owing to the fact that this bezel and body member are formed of sheet stock and shaped more especially by a bending operation the seat 19 for the crystal, may be made very accurately and as the edge portion of the crystal, itself, is formed by machinery, it may be caused to iit so closely to its seat as to render it practically air tight. y

In addition to turning inwardly the edge of the stock about the opening in the rim, I have provided a broad seating surface 19 for the crystal 17 which inturned edge also provides a flange to which the bezel locking frame may be readily secured. In order to hold this crystal to its seat, I have provided a bezel locking frame 2O which is herein shown as being provided with two pairs ,of upstanding resilient fingers '2l which are' adapted. to snap over the outside of this inwardly extending flange 18 and so lock the frame in position as to press and effectively secure thecrystal to its seat.V And beivwith great rapidity, without the neces-l sity of employing highly skilledL labor. ,as is necessary to .set a crystal from the front land s, also breakageis reduced to aminimum vthen again by simply snapping ltheflocking frame into position and connecting the lower body portion with its movement tothe front body port-ion, boththe bezel and. the. watch move- 'ment are automatically bound yin positionby spring pressure by the fingers and the flanges on` the bezel locking frame.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construct-ion illustrated, `but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to `allthe mechanical changes towhich the device is susceptible, the invention .being defined and limited only by theterins of the appended claims. I claim: y

l. In a watch case, a bodymember formed of sheet .stock having a bezel rim, with an inturned inwardly llaring marginal t flange forming a beveled* seat for the crystal, and means beneath the crystal forpressing `it vto its seat.

2.111 a watch case,- a bezelmemberha-ving a front rim with an opening formed therein,

aninwardly flaring edge. providing va seat y for .the crystal, Aand a bezel frame having members to snap intofengagement with the stock about the opening to .hold'the crystal to its seat..

3. In avwatch casea body memberformed ofsheet stock having an inturned fron-t bezel rimrwith anopeningfor the Acrystal the edge wall of the opening flaring inwardly pro- Ahold the crystal to yits seat.

y 4. In a watch case, a bezel member having an opening in its frame for a crystal, the

edge about the opening being turned inwardly 'forming a seat for the crystal and a bezel frame having means to snap over said in-. =turned edgel to loclthe crystal to its seat.

wardly Aflaring 4marginal flange forming a lbeveled seat for the crystal, and a bezel lframe having `upstanding resilient fingers to snap over said inturned flange to `hold `f`the crystal to its seat.

7. In a watch case, a bezel memberhaving an opening with an .inturned inwardlytflai`- ing edge forming a seat for the crystal, means for supporting a watch movement in tliecaSing, a bezel frameintermediatethe crystal and the movement, andhaving means for holding both in operating position.,

8. In a watch. case, a bezel member having ian opening with an inturned inwardly flaring edge Yforming a seat for a crystal, means for supporting. awatch nio-vement in 'the casing, a bezel frame member having, means for holding the crystal to itsseat and `also `for binding the movementto its support.

9. In a watch case, a bezel member having` an 1opening in its front with aninturned iiiwardly flaring marginal flange forminga beveled seat for theA crystal, means for supporting a movement infthe casing, .and a fra-me member having resilient "means to snap into engagement with said `flange to liold'the lens toits `seat and also a member HERMAN BUHLMN.

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